


Dreams of Criminals

by wonderlandiscrumbling



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Ed finds Oswald fascinating, Gen, Nightmares, Oswald's dealing with things, Season 2, light mentions of past child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 10:25:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14669106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderlandiscrumbling/pseuds/wonderlandiscrumbling
Summary: Ed often wonders what sort of dreams a man like Oswald has, but he knows it's inappropriate to just ask him such a question. So instead he watches and tries to figure out for himself.





	Dreams of Criminals

What sort of dreams did a man like Oswald Cobblepot have, Ed wondered as he sat on the chair he had placed next to the bed, a bed occupied by the man in question. Ed knew it was inappropriate and rather impolite to be sitting there watching Oswald as he slept, but curiosity was a Hell of a thing and Penguin was a very intriguing puzzle he couldn’t solve. 

He tapped his fingers against the wooden back of the chair, hummed to himself as he watched him. He watched how his body went from relaxed to tense, arm jerking, and face contorting into a look of distress. This was common, a moment later he tossed himself onto his back, non-injured leg kicking out violently as if he were kicking at some unseen attacker. Nightmares. He seemed to have them often. Ed watched the tears that rolled down his cheeks, a part of him itched to reach out and brush the tears from his cheeks, to comfort him. That would also be inappropriate, this man didn’t want his comfort. He recalled how many times in a single week he’d hinted and blatantly asked for him to just kill him. 

This was a man who was tormented, he suffered from frequent nightmares; Ed wondered if this was a new occurrence after the death of his mother or if nightmares had always been something that plagued this man’s mind. He wondered why he got into crime, when his first robbery occurred, his first kill. Did he accidentally fall into the life of crime like Ed had or had it been a dream of his? Ed doubted this was the life Oswald had wanted as a child. He smiled to himself thinking about him as a child, imagining him wanting to grow up to be president or a fireman like most children. He wondered what his home life had been like, if it had been stressful, if he’d been happy growing up, or as miserable as Ed had been as a child.

These were all questions he could simply just ask him, but Penguin seemed to get annoyed with him when he rambled. The man was keeping him at a distance, either out of habit or because he was scared of what could happen if he allowed somebody in. This was a person he desperately wanted to get to know, to learn from, to be close to. He still felt the residual chill of excitement knowing that this man sleeping in his bed was the only living person who knew he was a murderer, he knew his deepest secret. Ed ached to tell him every other secret, to rip open his chest and expose his heart and all his icky insides to him. This was a person he knew he could be himself with and still he wasn’t entirely sure who he was, who either of them were.

An enigma.

Oswald groaned in his sleep, another fitful violent turn this time he was burying his face against the pillow. Ed was quickly learning his pattern, he knew soon he’d be waking up. Quietly Ed get up from the chair, he picked it up and carried it back to the small dining table. He gave one more glance towards the bed before heading into the small kitchen. He listened to the familiar sounds of rustling, the mattress groaning under shifting weight followed by the sound of a frustrated mutter of the word fuck. Ed heard the heavy uneven thud of feet on the floor as the other man headed to the bathroom slamming the door shut behind him, Ed jumped at the loud sound even if it was one he’d expected to hear.

He wondered if Oswald jumped when doors slammed, but he doubted it. The man was rarely quiet when he did things, each movement and thing he did came with a hint of dramatics or general anger. He didn’t attempt to be quiet as he walked or sat or rummaged through the fridge desperate to find “good food” as he called it. 

Ed remained in his corner of the kitchen, his movements quiet as he opened a cabinet and began looking through boxes and tins, it was close to three in the morning, he’d only slept for thirty minutes. Knowing himself he wouldn’t be sleeping anymore, perhaps he could make breakfast for himself, see if his temporary roommate would like something to eat as well.

He flinched as he heard the door slam open, door knob hitting against the bathroom wall more than likely leaving an indent this time. He would need to talk to him about that sometime, he couldn’t take his anger out on every object in the apartment, Ed did not have the means to pay for the damages.

He stayed off to the side watching as Oswald hobbled into the kitchen not even noticing him. Ed held his breath, body stilling as he watched the other man begin his usual ritual of rummaging through every drawer and cabinet as if food he would enjoy would just magically appear. Ed’s mind went back to old days, to a different apartment and a different age. A time where he’d sneak from his room and look for food in the kitchen, hoarding like a raccoon, feeling like death was impending if he heard the heavy thud of his father’s footsteps. He closed his eyes and shook his head, he was an adult now, in his own apartment, his father was dead.

“Did you have nightmares?” Ed asked letting his presence be known.

Oswald jumped, he backed himself up against the wall, eyes widening as he stared at Ed. The fear passed now replaced by anger as he narrowed his eyes and stepped towards the other man.

“Don’t do that, you scared the Hell out of me.” He yelled, voice cracking like a teenager’s might.

Ed merely smiled, he reached behind him flicking on the light switch. Oswald blinked against the light, he groaned as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Sorry” he apologized, partially genuine.

“Do you just lurk in here all night?” Oswald asked, his glaring less intense this time.

“No, I just don’t sleep all that much. Insomnia. You don’t seem to get much sleep yourself.” 

Oswald looked him over before opening the fridge. “Tends to happen after one watches their parent die.” He responded bitterly.

Ed fell silent, lips pressed into a thin line. His mother’s death was a touchy subject, Ed supposed by all logic that was reasonable. 

“Sorry, are you okay?”

The question felt lame, it fell into the nothing between them, and Ed again flinched as Oswald slammed the fridge door shut.

“Let’s see I lost everything, my lifestyle ended with my mother being murdered and dying as I held her, and then I got shot. So no, I’m not okay Ed.”

He opened his mouth to apologize again, but knew it wasn’t what was wanted or what was needed. He allowed the tense silence to grow, he looked down at the floor as he fidgeted with his fingers. He could feel Oswald staring at him, he waited for the other man to begin yelling at him for being so idiotic.

Oswald sighed, he pushed his fingers back through his greasy messed black hair. “Sorry, I know you….What you’re doing for me, I do appreciate it.” 

Ed glanced up at him, he could see he was exhausted, that all of this was hard on him. 

“I understand, I mean I don’t not exactly. I do want to help you though and perhaps in time you can help me as well.”

Oswald smiled, “You’re still stuck on the villain thing?” He questioned, a light teasing tone to his voice.

“It’s what I want, I feel like this is what I’m destined to do.”

He could feel that the other man wanted to argue, wanted to go into his usual speech that this was not a glamorous lifestyle, but he refrained.

“Okay, how about you get us a nice dinner tonight and we can talk things over. I’m willing to help you, especially if it means you’ll get off my ass about wanting to be a villain.” 

Ed smiled brightly, he didn’t think about it as he wrapped his arms around him hugging him close. “Thank you, Oswald,” 

He was surprised when Oswald patted his back, his usual tension gone as he allowed Ed this bit of affection. It was a start to figuring him out.


End file.
